The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday dismissed a suit filed by the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Adolphus Wabara. The suit sought an order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the BoT's faction of the party.
Judgment Details
Justice Salim Ibrahim, in delivering the judgment, described the suit as “an abuse of court process, unmeritorious and lacking in merit.” The judge held that the plaintiffs failed to prove any entitlement to the reliefs sought. He also agreed with INEC's preliminary objection that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the case.
Justice Ibrahim affirmed the leadership of the Mohammed Abdulrahman-led PDP faction, which is loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. He stated that “the preliminary objections filed by all the defendants succeed.” The judge earlier struck out the name of PDP as the 8th plaintiff from the suit, agreeing with the Abdulrahman-led argument that the 1st to 7th plaintiffs had no authority to file the case on behalf of the party.
Background of the Suit
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), members of the Wabara-led BoT had filed the fresh suit seeking an order of court compelling INEC to recognise the PDP interim National Working Committee (NWC) faction led by its National Chairman, Kabir Turaki, on its official website, among others. They claimed that the names of members of the Turaki-led NWC were forwarded to the electoral umpire via letters dated May 4.
The originating summons, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, was filed on June 4 by a team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN. The plaintiffs included ex-Senate President Wabara; BoT Secretary, former Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State; ex-Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana; PDP chief Olabode George; former Minister of Women Affairs Maryam Ciroma; ex-Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development Zainab Maina; BoT and NEC member Esther Uduehi; and the PDP itself. They sued INEC as the sole defendant.
Court Challenge by Wike's Faction
The PDP faction loyal to the FCT Minister approached the court and challenged its jurisdiction to hear the suit. The court upheld this challenge, leading to the dismissal of the case.
This ruling follows a previous decision by the Appeal Court dismissing a PDP leadership case after a Supreme Court resolution. The judgment further solidifies the recognition of the Abdulrahman-led faction as the legitimate leadership of the PDP.
